To Know Better
by Winter Fae
Summary: Severus tries, and fails, to hide a new potion from his wife.


Hermione walked into Severus' potions lab one early afternoon, surprising him with her sudden appearance. She gave him a sunny smile as she walked to his side of the bench he was currently working at. With a kiss and a hand on his chest she greeted him, "Hello, hello."

Severus returned her kiss with a puzzled look on his face and was inwardly trying not to let his slight panic show. "What brings you home so early, it's barely two."

"I finished my work up and decided to skip out early. I hope that's alright with you." She tilted her head down and gave him a sly, teasing look.

"Yes, of course. Don't be ridiculous," he said but in his head he was yelling, _Today of all days! Blasted woman, the one day I want privacy is the day you, on a whim!, decide to come home early._

"Good, I'm glad that's settled then." She patted his chest and turned to take a seat opposite him. "So, what is it you're working on today? More Pain Relief? I saw St Mungo's put in quite a tall order for it this month."

He was in fact working on more Pain Relief, having finished up his _other_ potion project that he wanted to keep hidden from his young wife. _At least I'm granted one small favor today. I would hate to lie and she'd know in an instant if I did._ Hermione was a very intelligent and cunning witch and knew Severus as well as he knew himself. That's what he loves most about her, for more times than not he doesn't have to voice his thoughts, she can just read them on his face. To her alone he's an open book. Yet, it has it's drawbacks to be so easily read by his wife. Makes it hard to hide things. Not that he has much need for that these days; excluding right now.

"I am. They didn't ask for any the month before and they're making up for it now I believe." He was bottling the last of his current batch of potion and once corked he placed it, very subtly, in front of his _other_ bottled potion.

"Good thing they have you, potions master extraordinaire, to help them out." She winked and placed her elbow on the table and her head in her hand. Oh, he loved this woman.

"Humph, they're lucky I'm willing to take time out of my busy schedule," he teased back. They want for very little and get by just fine on what they earn, and Severus has the blessing of picking and choosing who he makes his potions for and how much he's willing to do. If someone demands his talents he is now free to say no when he pleases. He takes great joy in the knowledge it's his choice alone and no one else's.

Well, his wife may or may not have a slight sway on him every once in a while, but that's beside the point.

_Look at us,_ he thought, _grinning at each other like fools._ Not that he cares one bit. The last year as her husband and the year before that spent almost entirely in her presence has been the best years of his life. He chooses not to remember his life before her and he prefers it that way.

Severus held her gaze for a few moments more then turned back to the cauldron to start on the next batch. Hermione reached for the cutting board and began preparing ingredients without asking or being told. They have a rhythm to their work that they've developed over the last few years. He's comfortable having her as a partner in his lab and he's more than confident in the quality of her work.

An hour passed and Severus had let his worry and nerves over Hermione seeing the bottle and wondering over the contents go and they continued their work. Their conversation was light and humorous and it never failed to put him at ease.

When they were done Severus began bottling up the last of it, and Hermione brought over a crate and started placing the finished potions inside. He should have been paying more attention to his wife, he'd soon learn.

"What's this?" Hermione asked holding up the one bottle on the table he had hoped she would pay no mind to. The one bottle that wasn't like the others and that he should have removed from sight when he had the chance. He sighed, _I really should know better by now._ She was holding the bottle to the light and trying to decipher on her own what it was. Severus pretended he didn't hear her hoping she would lose interest and move on. That method hasn't worked in the past, he has no idea why he would think it'd work now. He has a hard time reacting properly when his wife puts him in a panic. _What has she done to me?_ And that was not the first time he had asked himself that.

"Severus?"

He barely glanced up, returning his eyes to his work quickly. "Hum?"

He could see her slowly placing the bottle back on the table and the panic went up a notch. He tried not to hold his breath and make this all worse.

"Severus." _Oh no_. "Dear. Would you mind too terribly much telling me what this is?" Her voice was too soft and sweet for his own good.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a huff and placed his hands flat on the table in front of him. This, right here, was what he wanted to avoid. He had planned and wanted so bad to keep this one thing from her, to save himself from the embarrassment and the potential chance of making his wife feel hurt; feel like she wasn't doing enough.

"Today of all days," Severus said under his breath. Oh, how he didn't want to do this. Didn't want to explain what that was. "I had wanted..." He paused and tried again, "I wished to join you in...your pleasure. You are well aware of our difference in age and along with that comes a difference in how...much of our intimate moments together I can participate in. How long they last." He could feel his face getting hot and he still didn't raise his eyes to hers. "I enjoy our time very much, as you know, and there is nothing I have found that is better than bringing you pleasure, as much and as many times as I can. My only wish is that I could experience that with you. To...continue as you are able to continue." He had no idea if he was making any sense to her, he just wanted this conversation to be over so they could move on and just enjoy the damn potion and not talk about it.

Hermione was quiet and it wasn't doing his nerves any good.

She spoke finally, "Severus." She waited patiently till he took a breath and finally looked at her. She had a beautiful, soft smile on her face. Not a trace of judgment or hurt. Just his wife, the one person he should never be afraid of, making this whole situation laughable in hindsight. He really should know better by now. "So, from what I understand, this," she holds up the bottle, "is to help you reach a few more climaxes, like I am able to do?"

He nods his head once, no need to elaborate that "a few more" was just more than the _one_ that he currently is able to reach in any given time period. His age is to blame in full since it sure wasn't this woman standing in front of him. If he were young again...

She's coming around the table now and he turns slightly to face her head on. He's able to relax completely when she raises her arms to set them comfortably on his shoulders and he can feel a few fingers threading through his hair. Why was he nervous again?

"I want that for you too, Severus." She leaned forward for a kiss and when they broke apart she stayed but a hairs breath away. "I would love nothing more than to bring you to that point over and over again. To watch you fall apart again with me.

"Now, is this a potion you would take each day, or does it help over a longer period of time..."

"Over time; lasting effects," he's able to get out in a low voice. He's been researching and working on this potion for a long time now, all that was left was to test it out. Now was shaping up to be a good time.

"Hmmm, sounds good," she murmured into his ear, her breath warm and tingly. He smoothed his hands down her sides and around to her back and pulled her in closer. "Did you really think you could hide this from me?" she whispered.

Severus pulled back to look at her and saw that she was smiling still only now it had a cheeky quality. "You knew."

"Of course I knew. Silly man." Hermione rubbed her thumb over his cheek and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I didn't bother you about it, I knew that you wanted to keep it to yourself, which I was fine with. If this was something you wanted to look into I wasn't going to bring it up and cause you any discomfort. But seeing a foreign potion sitting right in front of me, I could only assume that's what it was."

"You weren't suppose to be home to even see it! I had every intention of keeping it to myself and just letting you reap the benefits after the fact."

She laughed, "I do believe, husband, that we will both be reaping the benefits." She slid her body up against his own as she tightened her arms around his neck and a pleasant shiver went up his back. "And I'm sorry, I just thought it would be nice to surprise you by coming home a little early. I was hoping to distract you away from your work." There was that cheeky grin again.

"It's surprising I'm able to get any work done as it is. You have an annoying ability to invade my thoughts at all hours of the day."

Hermione had a look of pride and self-satisfaction on her face. She knew exactly what hold she had over him. "That's what I like to hear. At least I'm not alone in that particular annoyance." She dragged her lips along his cheek till she reached his ear and slowing bit down and then whispered, "I spend so much time just sitting at my desk with my head in the clouds imagining you right here, with your sleeves pushed up to your elbows and your long, devastatingly talented, fingers at work. Many a fantasy do I have about just walking in and laying down in front of you and letting you go to work on me instead of your potions."

Severus was having a hard time breathing, it was coming out in harsh bursts. His fingers were gripping her hips then up to her rib cage and back down again, not knowing where he wanted them more. Hermione has always made him feel young. So out of control and lost, but in such a pleasing way. She makes loosing control feel wonderful and freeing like he's never before had the chance to feel. She has given him back his youth, made him feel alive again, makes his blood run hot and quick. That's why he wanted the potion. He wanted to complete this youthful feeling by being able to join her, as true equals in their passion.

Severus was firm against her and he knew she could feel his arousal through their combined robes and he could hear her breath getting short and labored. "Would that have worked, Severus? Would I have been able to draw you away from your potions?"

"You know damn well it would work," he growled in her ear and then attacked her neck with his mouth and teeth. She knows because it's happened before. He'd be ashamed of how many potions have been ruined in the past year if he wasn't left so satisfied in spite of them. Oh, Hermione. She's always been nothing but trouble. Sweet, sweet, trouble.

He doesn't exactly know why, but she seems to love starting, and ending, things here in his lab. She slowly draws him away from what he at one point had his full concentration on, leads him to something so much more fulfilling. Maybe she likes knowing that she is the only one to do that; that has the power to take his mind and focus it on a different passion. Focus it entirely on her. She is all consuming and he revels in it.

He curls his arms low and rests them at the top her backside and picks her off the ground and she holds on around his neck still. "The lab is a mess, we'll have to explore your daydream in depth another time."

She pulls back just enough to see him and she smiles, "I'm going to hold you to that, Severus."

"Oh, it will be my pleasure." He buries his face into her neck and starts to walk to the door, but Hermione stops him.

"Wait! Almost forgot." She reaches down around his shoulder and snatches his potion off the work bench. "We still have a potion to try out, Professor. We can't leave a potion untested, mind you. It just would't be right." She winks again and kisses his neck and Severus laughs and walks out the lab door.

Why did he even bother hiding this from her? Really, he should know better by now.


End file.
